Democrats tap Donovan
Committee nominates her to replace Clyne as elections commissioner
The county’s Democratic Committee chose a former deputy elections commissioner to replace longtime commissioner Matthew Clyne on Wednesday.
The committee unanimously nominated Kathleen Donovan, who lost a race for a Cohoes
Common Council seat last summer, to oversee the office through the next four years. Donovan’s appointment must still go before the County Legislature, but legislative leaders praised the choice. If approved, she would take office Jan. 1, 2021.
Her experience will be key as the board operations continue to be modernized and as the county takes on voting reforms, said Legislature Chairman Andrew Joyce. “We know we will have a strong and experienced partner in Kathy to make this happen,” he said.
Donovan retired from the county Board of Elections in 2018 after working there for 34 years.
“I am committed to upholding the highest of professional standards in the position of commissioner and look forward to working with voters and candidates alike to ensure their right to vote, and that fair elections, are upheld," she said in a statement.
Last year, she lost a special election to redo the Democratic primary for Cohoes’ Fifth Ward Common Council seat. Donovan and now-councilman Andrew Biggs tied during the first primary in June.
Clyne had an occasionally contentious run as the Democratic commissioner at the Board of Elections.
In 2016 he filed a lawsuit to force party chair Jack Flynn to submit his name for the job after Flynn failed to do so. Over the years, some Democrats complained that Clyne was selective in who he helped, an allegation he denied.
Earlier this year, Clyne was criticized for repeatedly refusing to wear a
mask during the absentee ballot count to determine the winner of the county district attorney contest between David Soares and Matthew Toporowski. At the time, Clyne said he believed wearing a mask indoors was unhealthy.
He decided not to seek reappointment after Democratic leaders said they would be seeking new nominations for the job.